Locked up for the summer
by Lily x James 4 eva
Summary: Dumbledore ally locks Lily, Sirius, James, and Remus up in Hogwarts after their last term. So, now Lily has to be their cook ,maid, and has to endure their stupid, even if they are soemtimes funny, remarks for the whole summer. How horrifying! LJ
1. Chapter 1

What in the world have I gotten myself into?

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_We'll be waiting for you on the platform honey. I cant wait to see you! It's been too long...well, to a mother a few months seem like eternity! But I wont babble, I know you have you magic things to do and your friends to hang out with, so I'll leave you at that._

_Miss you,_

_Mum_

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Who would think someone like Dumbledore was so careless? To leave four students (three of which were male) in a school for an entire summer holiday? I know some say that he's '_off his rocker_', but this..._this _is just pushing it!

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"Oh my gosh, Athena, I forgot my charms book under my bed!" I exclaimed, rifling through my book bag that was hanging off my shoulder and looking uselessly for the large blue book. My suitcase was at my side, about to be loaded onto the carriage that was to take it to the platform, but I always kept my book bag with me. I can't help it. I love to read and it _isn't _called a book bag just for kicks.

"Well, hurry up and go get it, don't just stand here like a stupefied imbecile!" I quickly dashed off in the direction of the castle.

"I'll tell them to wait! I'll leave your suitcase here too just in case!" she yelled back over her shoulder and went off in search of one of the teachers to inform.

I sprinted up the steps two at a time. I threw open the giant oak door, with difficulty seeing as it weighed about two tons, and ran at full speed up the marble staircase, easing a little on my speed. Sweat ran down my neck in droplets by the time I reached Gryffindor Tower and I skidded to a halt in front of the Fat Lady.

"Forget something, dear?" she asked, cocking her head.

"Yes..." I panted, slightly leaning over and clenching the huge stitch in my side. She swung open without a password, I suppose she didn't need one anymore, and I ran inside, trying to ignore the throbbing pain on both sides of my abdomen. I ran up the steps leading to the girl's dormitory's and found my book laying innocently on my bed. I sighed in frustration, snatched it up in one fell swoop, and stuffed it in my bag. I went down the stairs in a light skip, slower then a run but faster then a walk.

"Stupid book..." I mumbled bitterly. I faintly heard a SLAM coming from one of the lower level's of the castle and a slight horror struck me. It sounded like the slam of the giant oak front door.

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"Lily? Lily? Nope, not in this one. Oh, sorry about that." James Potter handed the glaring girl back her book, which she snatched clean out of his hands in fury, and slammed the carriage door in his face.

"Mate, lets just get in one of these before they all start to drive off and leave us." Remus Lupin suggested.

"But we have to find Lily! I saw Athena climb into one of the carriages but Lily wasn't anywhere around! And isn't that her suitcase over there?" he pointed to a black square about forty feet away.

"How do you know that's her's!" Sirius Black exclaimed disbelievingly. Peter Pettigrew nodded his agreement, too afraid to say something stupid in front of his friends, which he often did.

"Wait a minute, mate," Sirius squinted his eyes up towards the castle, "Is that her?" James eyes snapped up and saw a fleeting look of dark red hair enter quickly through Hogwarts' front door.

"I'm following her." said James and started making his way towards the castle. Remus grabbed the back of his robes.

"Who knows what she's going back in there for?" he stated.

"Exactly." James squirmed out of Remus' hold and started towards the school again.

"I'm going too." Sirius started running after James. Remus gave Peter a look of incredulity.

"I'll go get us an empty carriage." suggested Peter and walked off, leaving Remus to stand by himslef with all their suitcases.

"What do they think I am, their luggage boy?" he dragged the three bulging suitcases as far as he could, gave up, and flew them over to Lily's, dropping them and creating a great heap of it all. He ran after his two friends through the open oak door.

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Dumbledore sent off the carriages and, after each one had gone, noticed four suitcases strewn in a large pile about thirty feet away from the Oak front doors. He shrugged, took out his wand, and magicked them into the front hall, shrugging and making up his mind that the students who were the owners of them would just get them back next year. He closed the heavy oak doors of the castle, magickly locked them so nothing could get in, and apparated on the sopt, not knowing that he had just locked his four, smartest and most talented students in there for two whole months.

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"What was that?" James asked, finally stopping his desperate sprint up the marble staircase and looked down at Sirius, whose eyes were wide and mouth was hanging open in horrid shock.

"Padfoot, what's wrong?" Sirius gulped and looked frightfully up at James.

"We've been locked in mate."

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Hey, Another fic! This one will be REALLY fun to write and I hope you liked this first chapter! Review, luff you all!

Denierure


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer - I am NOT Danielle the Stupid...I'm her older sister, Lise the Beautiful, Smart and Brave. But that's irrelevant - ONWARDS TO OUR FATE!... 'cough' I mean...ON WITH THE STORY!

Chapter Two

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"NOOOOOO! Professor! PROFESSOR! Let me OUT! PROFESSOR!" Lily beat her fists on the thick oak doors, but no matter how loud she yelled no one answered her pleas for help. After another minute or two she slumped down to the ground, defeated; she had subconsciously bruised her hands from the beating without feeling a thing in the desperate struggle for freedom. She suddenly felt very lonely, and very frightened. Would she have to spend an entire summer by herself, with no way to contact her parents or friends or anybody? Would she be able to get a hold of Dumbledore so he could unlock the door and let her out? Many question raced through her mind and she sat there, contemplating her options. She was so deep in thought, she never noticed quiet, hesitant footsteps on the staircase.

"Evans?" said a voice from above. Lily's head snapped up in surprise...and stayed like that for a few seconds. Sirius' face appeared next to James'.

"Hey Lilikins, you look just like a gaping codfish." Her mouth snapped shut and became a firm line. She dreaded her own, new thoughts about the situation she was in.

"This can't be..." she stated with dry dread.

"Oh...it can and it is Evans...you can believe me whether you like it or not." Lily was about to say a very inappropriate response when a holler sounded somewhat in the distance.

"Padfoot? Prongs? Where did you guys go? WE'RE GONNA MISS THE CARRIAGES!" Remus' body materialized around the corner from the direction of the Great hall and he froze at the sight of Lily.

"You–James–Carriages–Wha?" he looked around expectantly.

"Up here Moony!" Remus' head shot up and he scowled at his two friends.

"I'm guessing we've missed the carriages." he questioned bluntly, though it was more of a fact then query.

"Right you are Moony!" Sirius yelled while jumping over the railing. His shoes made a loud, echoing SMACK which sounded ten times as loud without the forty other sounds joined with it. Lily groaned audibly.

"Not too happy about this situation are you Evans?" Sirius asked, quirking an eyebrow. Lily fixed him with a glare and picked up her trunk, walking in their direction.

"You're not going to smack him with that are you? Cause that would probably be the best thing to do right now." Remus stated, smirking. James laughed at that and even Lily's face turned a bit red and she giggled.

"Of course not...I'm saving the frying pan for that." strangely, the four students laughed at that and started their long trek up the marble staircases, dragging their bags and stuff behind them. "And, of course, Tis too heavy for me to lift clearly off the ground."

"Would you like me to carry that for you?" James indicated her book bag. She looked at him disbelievingly, not because of his personality (though that was one of the reasons she was going to decline), but he had a bulging trunk, a stuffed book bag, AND a separate pouch that was almost spilling over its contents.

"You sure you even can?" she asked, slightly amused.

"Of course!" he yelled indignantly and he grabbed her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and groaned at its weight.

"Okay...maybe not." she shook her head at him and took her bag back. Deep in the back of her mind, she did note his generosity and willingness to try and get along; Remus and Sirius, however, were not being as fortunate.

"Moony, can you hold my stuff for me?"

"Are you kidding Padfoot? Please say that your kidding! You have half of Zonko's and a fourth of Honeydukes in that one bag alone! Not mentioning your trunk and book bag also. Besides, I am a bit _INSULTED _that you didn't include me in the 'seeking-of-Lily', not twenty minutes ago. I guess I can only say thank goodness that Pete didn't come along with us...he'd be whining so loud people on France would be able to hear him."

"Remus, you're changing the subject; hold my bags for me!"

"Why!"

"Because my shoulder hurts!"

"It's not like I can help that! I'm not a nurse! And besides, it wouldn't be hurting if you guys wouldn't come visit me—" Remus abruptly stopped talking as Sirius and James gasped.

"What?" Lily asked suspiciously. All three of their faces turned bright red and they shook their heads furiously. "What is it?" she repeated again.

"N-nothing." Remus stuttered.

"Yes," James took off on his own sentence, "Nothing at all."

"Absolutely nothing!" Sirius added with that smile that infuriated Lily more then getting bad marks on class assignments (When every time she worked her very hardest to get the best grade in the class). She snorted.

"Oh yes...it certainly _SOUNDS _like nothing to me." she replied sarcastically and they all smiled, relieved. Lily rolled her eyes at their gullibility.

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_What if someone gets hurt? _I_ sure am no doctor! What if we go looking for food and there isn't any? We haven't learned charms that teach us how to make food out of thin air!...wait...heave we...? What if it gets so hot that we sweat all our energy out of our skin and rot here for the rest of our lives...or at least until school opens again in the fall? What if our parents never find us and start freaking out all over the place? What if? WHAT IF!_ Lily grabbed her head in frustration and let out a distressed scream.

She was currently sitting in the room of her old dormitory, by _her_ window, making a mental list of every bad thing that could happen and all that they would have to do to survive...in each others company, mostly; _I think getting along with them is a more grueling concept then finding food,_ she thought to herself. _But I must be rational...I need to think clearly...I know! I'll write mum and dad a letter! _She jumped from her seat in the window and rummaged through her bag for some parchment and a quill. When she found both, she sat down and, absentmindedly chewing on the end of the quill, thought hard about what she was going to write.

She wasn't in direful trouble or anything, just in a VERY bad situation. She wanted to stress the importance of getting out (before she went out of her mind), but didn't want to sound as desperate as she actually was. In fact, she was having quite some fun so far (even if it only had been a half hour into their 'struggle'). She was about to start on her cursive 'D' when she faintly heard her name being yelled. What now? She thought, overwhelmed by the mere fact of teenage boys calling her name (which had never happened before, besides Potter's taunting of course) for the first time in a long time. She trudged to the top of the small balcony overlooking the common room and peered down. The three boys were each sitting on a different chair in front of the dormant fireplace and looking up at her.

"What _now!_" she voiced her thoughts irritably. It was James who spoke.

"Can I...can I speak to you privately for a minute?" Lily raised an eyebrow skeptically but nonetheless plodded down the spiral staircase uncertainly. James stepped through the portrait and Lily followed. He led her to the nearest empty classroom, set a silence charm on the door and turned to look at her fearfully.

"So help me Potter, if you try _one inexcusable thing in here alone with me_—"

"No! No, of course not, I'd never dream of it." he said genuinely, even if he was _somewhat _lying. "It's just...well, you were writing to your parents weren't you?" she looked at him angrily shocked.

"You little sneak! How did you know?" she accused him. He shrugged nonchalantly.

"I considered doing the same. I thought, seeing as you were head girl this year, that you would do that because it seemed the only sensible thing to do in this particular situation." she looked completely embarrassed.

"I–Oh." she said lamely, her hand raising a bit, then curling her fingers back and resting her curled fist against her chest. "Well, um, yes of course it is the most sensible thing to do right now, I mean, Our current situation–"

"Don't leave." he said unexpectedly. She looked thoroughly confused.

"Pardon?"

"I–well, um, don't want you to go."

"Potter if this is another excuse to ask me out, it won't–"

"I'm not trying to ask you out...just don't go. Tell them your okay, make up a lie or something, but please..." he looked strait into her emerald eyes, his own filled with pleading, "...don't go."

There was a short pause.

"Okay."

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Wow, that was a lame ending to this chappy. Yes, it took em a while cause I really didn't have an inspiration these past few weeks and I know the chapter is short but...well the next will be longer and more interesting!...I think...

Review please! And don't waist your flames, I'll just use them to make my Smores,

Denierure


	3. a walk and finding things out

1Here's chapter three! Enjoy!

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She didn't know why she said yes...why she hadn't thrown something at his face, laughed, called him a dirty name, she didn't know why...It must have been that look...that darn handsome look in his hazel eyes...hazel like the river behind her house in the fall, where orange and red leaves littered the surface, which look like spun glass or silk.

She dotted the 'i' of her name at the bottom of the short piece of parchment. It was a simple letter, only said not to worry, she had made up that a last minute activity had happened, to the seventh years she added, that caused them to stay for the summer. It made sense...kind of...She was about to seal the envelope when something made her pull it out again. She unfolded it and, with the small space at the bottom, wrote:

_P.S. Really Mum and Dad, I'm fine and don't worry. I'll send some Owls over the few weeks, but may not have time. Just to warn you if you don't receive a letter after a while. Again, love Lily, I'll miss you!_

She closed the envelope, sealed it, and tied it to the leg of her Owl. She watched it soar away into the horizon then, giving a soft sigh, made her way down the staircase. Before she entered the last few steps though, she heard whispering and her name being mentioned. She stopped and listened.

"I can't believe she actually said she'd stay. Now, maybe I can convince her that I'm not all bad." James defended.

"I think 'not all bad' is the key term there. Mate, you have to be COMPLETELY goody-two-shoes to get into her good book." said Sirius.

"I don't think so Padfoot." said Remus thoughtfully. "I think that, _deep down _mind you, Lily actually believes him to be a decent person." Sirius snorted at that remark.

"Yeah..._really_ deep down."

"Padfoot, you're not helping."

"The truth hurts Prongs." Lily, sensing an argument coming on, made her entrance.

"I'm not interrupting, am I?"

"N-no, of course not!" James stuttered. "Hey, Lily, I feel like taking a walk; care to join me?"

"Trying to win some alone time with Evan's here, aren't you Prongs?"

"Oh, shut up Sirius," said Lily good natured, "And yes, I would love to join you."

"Really?" said James, at a loss for words.

"Why, do you not want me to come after all?"

"Let's go!" he said grabbing her hands and leading her out of the portrait into the empty corridor...well...of course its empty...nobody's there!...anyways, it took a few minutes, of complete and utterly uncomfortable silence, before they reached the great oak front doors. James pulled one open, stood aside for Lily to go through first, then followed her.

"It's gorgeous out here, isn't it?" said Lily, trying to strike up a conversation.

"Yes...you are–I mean, not you, well, I meant the, the, um...tree's are um lovely, yes, very pretty. And the lake...it looks very...serene... you know, with the leaves floating along the smooth surface which looks like glass or silk or something." Lily looked at him incredulously. "Was it something I said?" he instantly looked _very_ uncomfortable. Lily smiled and hooked her arm through his.

"I'm starting to like you."

"Then I must be doing _something_ right."

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They spent about an hour by the lake, talking about random things like their favorite color, or food, their favorite classes (in which James had none and Lily four) among other things. James picked up his wand and swished it and a single blade of grass rose up, swirled into a blur of color's, then turned into a ripe, juicy strawberry.

(Mmm...strawberry's...that sounds yummy...dipped in sugar!)

"Impressive." said Lily, admiring it then snatched it and took a bite. James raised an eyebrow but just transfigured another blade of grass and took a juicy bite himself.

"So...do you have any pet's?" James asked curiously. Lily shook her head.

"Not really...I mean, Petunia has about five hermit crabs all in different color's that do nothing but sleep and watch television, but what I've wanted more then anything is a dog."

"Really?"

"Yes and—what is that!" James' head whipped around to where Lily was pointing a shaking finger. James' blood started to boil. Twenty feet away, a huge black dog was padding happily towards them. _Leave it to stupid Sirius to ruin the happiest moment of my life..._

"Oh! It's so cute James! I never knew you had a dog." James put on a fake sort of grimace, that was supposed to be a smile.

"Sort of...his name is Snuffles."

"He's so big!" she said patting its soft head. The big black dog laid over on it's back, exposing it's inky black belly. "I can't believe Dumbledore would allow such a large animal in the castle." she said stroking its stomach with a sweet smile.

"You's think he wouldn't. And besides, this animal is the dumbest, most stupid dog I've ever met."

"James!"

"And he smells, and is a dirty rotten friend." After that remark, the big black dog started to morph into the handsome body of Sirius black who, with his hands behind his head and laying on his back, smiled at Lily just as she screamed and snatched her hand away from his stomach.

"_What the bloody merlin is going on!_"

"Hey lilikins, that felt good. Could you rub my belly some more?" said Sirius smirking. Lily was blushing profusely and James was beside himself with fury.

"Sirius you dirty, rotten, good-for-nothing, show off–!"

"How the bloody heck were you a dog–!"

"Hey Lils, next time scratch behind my ears, okay–?"

"Padfoot, Lily's isn't putting her hand _ANYWHERE _on your body–!"

"I can't believe you two...–"

"No seriously, James _you _should show her _your _other form–"

"Sirius, we weren't supposed to tell _ANYBODY_–!"

"_What other form? _James, what is he talking about–?"

"I don't see why we can't tell _Lily_, I mean we're spending the next two month's with her for Merlin's sake–"

"Sirius you don't know how much is at stake showing Lily our forms–!"

"Oh, _there's going to be more at stake then you're bloody lives _if you don't explain to me what's going on you two–!"

"OKAY!" roared James. Everybody stopped rambling. "Sirius, Peter and I learned how to become animagus in fifth year and we did this because we help Remus who is a werewolf whenever there is a full moon so he wont attack any humans if he escapes the Shrieking shack, which has a tunnel leading to it from underground the Whomping Willow which, if you remember, was planted our first year when Remus was accepted here, and if you have any questions, Sirius can turn into a dog, Peter a rat, and I can change into a stag." James stopped for a breath and watched Lily's eyes become the size of baseballs.

"YOU DID WHAT!"

"See, I wasn't hoping for that reaction."

"How did you do it!" Lily asked with awe and slight disapproval.

"A **WHOLE **lot of reading." Sirius answered with a shudder. "_Dang blasted reading_, took us three bloody years to finally get it right and poor Moony had to suffer all that time by himself." he said with an exaggerated sigh. Then he perked up. "But all is well and you wont tell a single teacher, okay? _Get it, got it, done._" he said in a finality business-like tone. Lily was completely and utterly speechless.

"I don't believe it...well, seeing as I just saw Sirius as a dog...no, wait...nah, I'm just going mental!" Lily rambled to herself.

"We seem to have that effect on people." said Sirius matter-of-factly. James groaned and smacked himself in the forehead.

"We are going to have so much fun here aren't we?" said Lily sarcastically. Sirius turned to her.

"You can't spell F-U-N without the marauders!...wait a minute..."

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I'll stop here! The next chapter will take place the next day! Yes...in the morning I think...to Sirius waking Lily up! Oooh...I can't wait to start writing _that_. Review please or else I wont update!

Have to be a bit more harsh, you see...anyways, I'm starting to get migraine's from being on the computer so much...oh well, reviews please!

Denierure


	4. having a picnic

1Chapter Four of Locked Up for the Summer

Oh, and apparently I'm supposed to put a disclaimer so, just for you **Hooved Majesty**, here it is: I don't own Harry Potter or any other character's but I do sort of own the plot...yeah, me and about twenty other people I'm sure.

Also, as _Charlotte _discovered, a flaw had been made in the last chapter...a very MAJOR flaw. She pointed out that if they were so deviously locked into the castle...then how in the HECK are they supposed to go out the front doors to go outside! Yes...but thats only a SLIGHT mistake and guys make sure to remind me not to do that agin, because I most likely will...anywho, I shall let you read on from here! Again, thanks for the reviews! We're slowly climbing the ladder! Oh and I've decided that they can go outside but cannot leave the grounds...I'll go into further detail as the chapter progresses.Okay, enjoy!

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beep...beep...beep...click.

Lily withdrew her hand from the alarm clock. She rubbed her tired eyes and groggily sat up in bed. She yawned and glanced bitterly at her alarm block. Her heart skipped a beat.

It said four thirty A.M.

Lily boiled. She summoned all the breath her lungs could muster and her piercing scream split the air like a hot chainsaw through butter.

"POOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRR!"

In the Gryffindor boys dormitory, three (or I should say two) boy's were rudely awakened by an exclamation of fury. James rolled off his bed with a yelp. Remus gave a muffled cry and threw his blankets in the air in shock. Sirius kept on monotonously snoring.

_Bloody...sodding...prat of a...Padfoot!_...James thought annoyed as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He too averted his gaze to his bedside clock. His eyes widened and a small smirk broke out on his face.

"Seem's our Lilikins has received her _present_." he stated and burst out laughing. He reached over and shoved Sirius' face with his fist, who slowly opened his eyes.

"_Whattimsit_?" he asked sitting up. "Bloody MERLIN, you lot, it's still _dark_ outside!" Then the corner's of his lips lifted in a dawning smile and an expression of realization crossed over settling in his eyes. "I'm guessing...Lily...?" he let his statement hang in the air and Remus nodded. He was about to laugh when he heard loud thumping on the boy's staircase.

"Oh no..." he muttered. "Hurry! Pretend you're asleep!" Each boy threw themselfs back under the cover's, but to no avail. The door was blasted off its hinges and Lily strode into the room. James, who had fallen back onto the floor, rubbed his backside as Lily grabbed the collar of his pajamas and lifted him to eye level.

"You know, Lily, you shouldn't look this pretty early in the morning." James offered.

"Cut the crap, _Potter_." said Lily. "Flattery will win you _nothing _this time." She let go of his collar and he fell on his bum to the floor. "_Is there_," Lily started, speaking slowly and venomously, "any _possible_ way that you are going to let me get any sleep these two months?"

"Not a chance, Lilikins." Sirius joked. "And might I say, that is a dashing night gown you are wearing." Lily sighed and rubbed her temples.

"Good bye." she said, and exited the room. Sirius whistled.

"Wow...that went better then I thought it would. I was sure she was going to hex at least one of us."

"Don't hold your breath." was Lily's reply from the other side of the door.

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After Lily got two more hours of sleep, she woke up the boys (with a hex of course), and grudgingly they followed her down the staircase and into the vacant corridor.

"I suppose I shall be the one to cook breakfast?" Lily bitterly stated, trying to break the uncomfortable silence. James gave her a dubious look.

"Did you expect me or Sirius to make the meals? Unless, of course, you'd like rat blood to be substituted for butter on your not-so-much-not-squirrel pancakes." Lily laughed weakly at that.

"No thank you." And she stepped aside to let James lead the way to the kitchen's.

They got there about ten minutes later. James went up to a painting of a bowl of fruit and tickled a pear, which giggled, then became a lime (or I should say pear) green handle. James pulled on it and led the way into the glorious and high ceilinged Hogwarts kitchen. Lily stood there in awe, slowly letting the sight seek in.

"Wow..." Lily breathed.

"It's brilliant isn't it?" James whispered in her ear. She gave him a skeptical look and started to examine the wonderful place.

"You are _so _full of yourself." Remus leaned over and said in James' ear.

"But she _is _impressed, isn't she?" James replied, beaming and he followed Lily.

"Look, there about ten different sized pots, almost thirty stoves and dishwashers, a reasonable lot of refrigerators and...oh my bloody bon-bon's...is that a vending machine!" Indeed it was, but instead of being filled with the usual soda pop, bottles of a dark brow liquid was unmistakable throughout the mass of counter space and cooking tops. Lily ventured closer and heard the three marauders follow, with curious expression adorning their own faces.

"You know...if I didn't know any better, and I _do_ know from all the never-ending visits to Rosie in Hogsmead...I'm ninety five percent sure that that's butterbeer!"

"You know Padfoot..." James stated, staring deeply at the many bottles, "I think you're actually right for once!"

"Oh that's flattering..."

"But wait," Remus cut in, his face very close to the glass; he seemed to be reading the label. "It says here 'Specially made (and here there were quote marks) For the teachers of Hogwarts' then in smaller print under that read's 'who try so fruitlessly and faithfully to train the little brats every year...' " and then the Three Broomsticks logo was placed under that.

"Well...that was unexpected." Lily said while this new daring information sunk into their whirling minds, "and completely vulgar if you ask me."

"Who in their right mind would mention US on a butterbeer bottle?" asked Sirius then grinned. "We're famous, Moony! We're famous!"

"We were famous before, Padfoot..." replied Remus distractedly.

"Who KNEW!" James roared, "that all this time, in stead of drinking TEA like they tell us, they've been drinking bloody BUTTERBEER!" he slammed his fist into a table.

"James, it's not like it's a conspiracy against you or something..." Lily cynically started to say but was cut off at conspiracy.

"It IS! After—"

"PRONGS!" the other two marauders yelled. "Lets just shut up and drink it because its hot outside today...yes, lets eat a bit of breakfast then we'll have a picnic outside." Sirius suggested. James agreed, but only because he was promised the first butterbeer.

"Sorry about that Lilikins...Prongs is a bit obsessed with butterbeer."

"Why!"

"No clue in a dungeon, if you ask me." then he tapped James' shoulder. "Hey Prongs, I think we need to have that talk your mum spoke to me about last summer..." James gulped audibly.

"_Talk?_" he asked weakly.

"I'll get those scrambled eggs going, shall I?" Lily asked and immediately made her way over to the stove.

"_Yeah_..." Remus said slowly, "I'll assist you Lily." he said eyeing Sirius' and James' now heated conversation dubiously.

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After having a quick breakfast the marauders and Lily headed back up to their dormitory's to change into clothing more suitable for the sunny, sweltering atmosphere outside. James changed into a white T-shirt and tan khakis; he tried fruitlessly to smooth his hair down then, with a frustrated sort of grunt gave up. Remus was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and was pulling a red polo over his head when Sirius emerged from the boys bathroom, adorned in nothing but his boxers.

"Padfoot..." James groaned. Sirius strutted over to James' night stand table and picked up a pair of sunglasses, draping then dramatically on the bridge of his nose.

"I'm ready!" he announced. Remus chuckled, rubbing his forehead irritably.

"Padfoot, Lily would scream then hex something at the first sight of you." Sirius appalled.

"You said to dress lightly because it was warm!"

"Exactly; we said to _DRESS_!" James rolled his eyes and heard footsteps, for the second time that day, skipping up the stairs.

"QUICK!" he threw a gray t-shirt at Sirius's face just as Remus stuffed a pair of shorts into Sirius' out-stretched arms. Sirius was unceremoniously shoved behind the bed just as the door opened. James and Remus tried hard not to gasp.

Lily stood there and beauty radiated off of her body. Her flaming redish-brown hair was french braided and held up in a plait and hanging in front of her left shoulder and she was wearing a light blue sleeveless button up with a dark blue plaid mini skirt. The only jewelry she wore were gold hoops with sapphire's embedded in the gold and light blue eyeshadow.

"Lils..." James squeaked incoherently and weak. Sirius, completely clothed, stood up from behind the bed and whistled.

"Wow, Lilikins...you look smashing!" Lily, unknowingly, blushed.

"Oh, shut up Sirius." she said good naturedly. She pulled from behind her an enormous picnic basket, laden, they could see, with fruits, vegetables, and sandwiches. Sirius' eyes lit up.

"As I took the liberty of gathering our lunch together, I thought it best to make a bit extra...just in case." she added with a smile. Sirius ran to her and enveloped her in a hug.

"Ah! Lilikins! I could kiss you!" then with an after though, "but then Prongs here would kill me." James looked affronted.

"_Sirius!_"

"What, I'm only telling the truth, Prongs!"

"Oh, _please _don't say we're starting _this_ again." Lily said, putting her hands on her hips. She had set the basket down on the floor next to her feet. A small smile adorned James' face and he grabbed Lily's hand who, laughing, allowed him to pull her out of the room in a rush. Remus ran after them and Sirius, taking an apple out of the basket, was about to take a bite when Remus, entering the dorm again, snatched it up and threw it back in the basket. He shoved Sirius out the door, and looped an arm under the handle of the woven basket before skipping down the dormitory stairs.

By the time Remus and Sirius were running across the lawns Lily and James were each holding a side of the picnic blanket, an old-school red and white checkered table cloth they had found that morning in the kitchens, and they each in turn grabbed a remaining side.

"I never thought a picnic with you guys would actually have the potential to be fun." Said Lily, laying her side on the soft grass. The boys let their's drop and smothered out the wrinkles before Remus replied.

"Well that's hardly flattering." Lily looked sheepishly at the ground. Sirius had an idea.

"Well Lilikins, while we are on the subject, I never thought having a picnic with you could be so pleasurable."

"Hey!" Lily yelled just as James shoved Sirius over onto his back.

"Ouch!"

"Padfoot that was _extremely_ rude!"

"Yes, Padfoot," Remus agreed, "Code number twenty-seven clearly states: That a Marauder is hereby _never _allowed to insult Lily Evans." Lily frowned good-naturedly at them.

"You've made a..._code _about me?" she asked skeptically, for lack of a better word. And the whole day they joked and ate, surprisingly they sung and danced (but that was mostly done by Sirius in a very high-pitched, off-key tone), and Lily actually had a good time, just as she had predicted earlier.

"So," James started, tears in the corner of his eyes from laughter, "I say 'Padfoot, why won't you do anything to even remotely help with the Transfiguration project?' and Sirius over here replies 'What am I supposed to do, all I can do from the seven years of lessons is turn Snape's toenails purple!'" The four young teenagers broke into peels of laughter and rolled around on the now wrinkled blanket.

"Strawberry?" James offered Lily after wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes. Lily, not in the slightest uncomfortable around the marauders anymore, viciously accepted. "I love strawberries!" she said and took a juicy bite, savory the sweet taste. "But of course, you already knew that from yesterday." she said with a wink when Remus turned to tell something to Sirius the other two boys weren't watching. James beamed.

"You know..." he started, flirtatiously leaning towards her; she subconsciously did the same. "I love it when you laugh." she blushed profusely.

"Well...that hardly supports my opinion of you for the last seven years..."

"In a good way?" she studied him for a second then smiled.

"I think so." and she snatched his strawberry, taking a bite where his mouth had been. His eyes slitted evilly, though his smile betrayed him, and he yelled a battle cry as he started to tickle her, nonstop. She let out snorts of laughter and rolled around, trying to escape his fingers.

"Ja-James! Stop! PLEASE! You're practically _spearing_ me with your pinky!" Her statement, or attempt to distract him, did so in a heartbeat.

"Oh merlin, you're not hurt are you? Did I poke you too hard?" She laughed at his concern.

"I'm fine...but you wont be!" she shoved him then, laughing shrilly into the soft wind, her cackling drifted to the ears of those who had never before heard such a sound; the sound of cheerful banter.

The green blades of grass swayed but flattened as Lily and James ran around the open field in front of Hogwarts, Lily trying futilely to escape James, and he chased her with zeal. After about a minute, when Lily was a breath away, he snatched her around the middle, twirling her around and grinning like a buffoon as her long curtain of hair spilt into his mouth and all of his face.

"I got you!" he yelled. Lily, trying to stop laughing so she could carry on the conversation without the interruption of an attractive snort, took a breath.

"What's your point?"

"I get something in return!"

"Oh? And what might that be?" James thought about that, then grinned.

"A kiss." Lily froze. A _kiss_? Of all the things he could ask for...oh, she should have seen that coming...but did she want to? Deep down, was there a voice saying that this was an opportune moment she may never get in her life, with the one and only infamous James Potter? She quickly made up her mind.

"Alright Potter. One kiss." his face showed signs of awe and he immediately swept her up into his arms and kissed her, fully and passionately. When he let go of her she squealed indignantly.

"Potter!"

"Yes, Ms. Evans?" he asked, seemingly innocent but still with a huge grin on his face. She mock glared at him.

"Stop making me like you."

"Nope. Sorry. No-can-do, Lils!" and with that he ran back to the picnic blanket where Sirius and Remus were rolling with laughter and "I told you so!"'s. Lily shook her head with a sigh.

"So, you completely inexcusable monkeys in disguise as humans, did you ever think of trying to leave here without getting blasted to smitherings with several spells we've most likely never heard of before?" The boys looked at her like she was loony.

"Have you gone completely off your rocker, Lilikins!"

"Three buffoons going up against Dumbledore's spells?"

"Are you mad, Lily?"

"Are you QUITE done insulting me?" she asked with a glare. They all looked sheepishly down at their shoes.

"_Sorry Lily.._." they each said, all at the same time. She grinned ruthlessly.

"That's 'Your Majesty' to you three...so, how about we take a wack at it? How hard could it be?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Extremely hard Lily." said James with a gulp. The four young adults were standing in front of the iron bolted Hogwarts gates; each, including Lily, had a frightful look on their faces.

"I don't want to do this!" Sirius burst out, "Just kill me now and do it quickly!"

"Padfoot...in all niceness, _shut up_ please."

"I fully agree with Remus on that one." said Lily.

"As do I." said James.

"Oh! Oh! I agree too! I agree too! What are we agreeing on again?" Lily, Remus, and James sighed and rubbed their temples at their poor incompetent friend.

"So...who wants to aim the first curse?" Lily asked.

"Which one of us is the best at hexes?" Remus asked. Sirius and James immediately pointed to Lily.

"Hey, what does hexing have to do with anything?" Lily asked, trying to save herself. The corner of James mouth became a smirk.

"Don't even try that Lils. You've obviously never been on the other end of one of your hexes." he said, crossing his arms.

"Well, of course! Why would I waist the time to hex myself?"

"Oh yeah..."

"You hang out with Sirius too much." Lily stated matter-of-factly. "And I'll do it." The three boys instantly looked relieved.

"Really, Lilikins?"

"Yes, Sirius...now stand back." she rolled up her imaginary sleeves as the three boys backed up about thirty feet.

"Its not like its going to backfire or anything!" she yelled over her shoulder in their general direction.

"You never know!" James yelled back, his voice cracking. Lily laughed silently to herself.

"Here goes..." Lily mumbled, bracing herself. She waved her wand and yelled, "_Expelliarmus!_" The jet of bright scarlet light reflected the sunlight for a second before dissolving into a sort of jelly-like barrier between the bars of the closed iron gate. Lily, and the marauders she could hear, sighed with relief. But just as Lily was turning around to scoff at the cowardly boys a noise erupted from where her spell his the barrier. She turned around just in time to see her spell being reflected back towards her. She screamed (and heard her name being called from each boy in fright) and, using her quick reflexes, dropped to the ground just as the spell shot through the place where her head had been. It dematerialized a few feet away from her and showered the ground with last minute sparks. Lily hyperventilated for a few seconds before fainting.

James, Sirius, and Remus watched in fright as Lily's spell backfired. They simultaneously yelled her name and heard her scream before falling to the ground as a last resort of protection. They each ducked, but had no need to, as the spell disappeared and a few crimson sparks rained down on the ground. They heard faint, but quick, breathing. James' heart crept up to his throat. It had only been a simple spell, _why wasn't she moving...?_

"Um...Mates...why isn't she moving?" Sirius voiced his thoughts. James, never taking his eyes off her, saw her shoulders slump.

"Oh bloody merlin..." James whispered and left his place by his friends, running as quick as he could to her side. He numbly felt himself fall to his knees beside her and lift her head onto his lap. Her eyes were peacefully closed, but she was breathing, James saw with immense relief. He could have cried.

"Guy's...guy's! She alive! She's alive!" he said weakly.

"Well of course she's alive, mate! It was only expelliarmus for crying out loud..."

"Yes Prongs, you shouldn't have worried. She only passed out." Remus and James looked at Sirius incredulously. He shrugged. "Let me...um...help you with that." He made to pick up her legs, but before he could, James arm was under them, his other under her neck, and he was carrying her damsel style back into the castle. Sirius, with a knowing smirk towards Remus, just picked up the empty picnic basket as Remus scooped up the checkered blanket. The four (though one didn't know it) made their way silently, but not uncomfortably, back across the grassy lawns to the magnificent castle.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

the end! Of the chapter, not the story...sorry, I've been so busy with tests and homeowrk that I've had no time to update. This chapter I've actually just been writing little snippets every time I get a good ten minutes for leisure time and have finally finished! Well...this isn't leisure time...I'm supposed to be scrubbing the bath tub right now...oops, must get back before mother notices I've gone! Au Revoir!

Denierure

P.S. Don't forget to review!


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